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New Hazelton fence rules: permits and height limits

Do I need a permit to build a fence in New Hazelton, and how high can it be?

New Hazelton, British ColumbiaChecked against official textSources read 2026-11-08

Short answer

In New Hazelton a fence along a street can be at most 1.2 m high and must be wrought iron or picket style. Along interior side and rear lot lines in residential zones the limit is 1.8 m. The Zoning Bylaw does not say whether a fence needs a permit, so call the District Office.

Key facts

PermitNot confirmed. The District's Building Bylaw No. 370 is posted only as a scan that could not be read.
Height, front yardThe bylaw sets no separate front-yard rule. Fences adjacent to a highway (street) in all zones: 1.2 m maximum, and they must be a permeable style (wrought iron or picket).Zoning Bylaw No. 389, 2025, as amended by Zoning Amendment Bylaw No. 392, 2026, s. 5.6(3)(d) and (e) Fences · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
Official wording
Fences adjacent to a highway in all zones shall not exceed a height of 1.2 m
shall be constructed with a permeable style (i.e., wrought iron or picket)
Height, side and rear yards1.8 m maximum along interior side and rear lot lines in Residential Zones, where the lot line is not adjacent to a highway.Zoning Bylaw No. 389, 2025, as amended by Zoning Amendment Bylaw No. 392, 2026, s. 5.6(3)(c) Fences · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
Official wording
Fences along interior side and rear lot lines (where not adjacent to a highway) in
Residential Zones shall not exceed a height of 1.8 m
Corner lots and sightlinesIn the sight triangle (6 m along each lot line from the corner), no fence, wall or structure other than a principal building may be higher than 1.2 m, and nothing may block sight between an eye 1 m above one road and an object 1 m above the other.Zoning Bylaw No. 389, 2025, as amended by Zoning Amendment Bylaw No. 392, 2026, s. 5.3(3)(c) and s. 5.4 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
Official wording
no fence, wall or structure, other than a permitted
principal building shall be erected to a height greater than 1.2 m
extending a minimum 6 m boundary along the parcel lines
an eye 1 m above the surface elevation of one highway cannot see an object 1 m above the surface
Other rulesHeight is measured from the average finished ground level at the base of the fence to its top. A fence on a retaining wall or berm counts the height of that support. Fences may be in setbacks, except the watercourse setback (unless a development permit allows it) and the sight triangle.Zoning Bylaw No. 389, 2025, as amended by Zoning Amendment Bylaw No. 392, 2026, s. 5.6(3)(a) and (b); s. 5.6(1)(i) · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
Official wording
The height of a fence shall be measured as the vertical distance from the average finished
ground level at the base of the fence to the highest point of the fence
wall, berm or similar structure, the height of the fence shall include the height of the
Fences may be constructed within any required setback, with the exception of the
BylawDistrict of New Hazelton Zoning Bylaw No. 389, 2025, as amended by Zoning Amendment Bylaw No. 392, 2026 (adopted September 8, 2026), s. 5.6(3), s. 5.3(3)(c) and s. 5.4Zoning Bylaw No. 389, 2025, as amended by Zoning Amendment Bylaw No. 392, 2026, Title page and page headers · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
Official wording
Zoning Bylaw No. 389, 2025
This Bylaw may be cited as District of New Hazelton Zoning Amendment Bylaw 392, 2026.

How it works

The fence rules are in section 5.6(3) of the Zoning Bylaw No. 389, 2025. They apply in all zones unless noted.

  • Next to a street: 1.2 m maximum, and the fence must be a permeable style (wrought iron or picket). There is no separate front-yard rule.
  • Interior side and rear lot lines in residential zones (where the lot line is not next to a street): 1.8 m maximum.
  • Corner lots: in the sight triangle (6 m along each lot line from the corner), no fence, wall or structure other than a principal building may be higher than 1.2 m. Nothing may block sight between an eye 1 m above one road and an object 1 m above the other.

Height is measured from the average finished ground level at the base of the fence to its top. A fence on a retaining wall or berm counts the height of that support.

The bylaw does not say whether a fence needs a building permit, and the Building Bylaw No. 370 is posted only as a scan. Ask the District Office.

Steps

  1. Find your property lines first, since a fence on the wrong side can lead to a dispute.
  2. Check whether the fence sits next to a street, on a corner lot or along a side or rear line, and apply the matching limit above.
  3. Call the District Office at 250-842-6571 or email info@newhazelton.ca to ask whether your fence needs a permit.

Good to know

  • Fences may be in setbacks, except in the watercourse setback (unless a development permit allows it) and in the sight triangle.
  • The fees schedule lists no fence permit fee.

Official forms and pages

The same question in other places

Hazelton · Smithers · Telkwa · Granisle · Terrace · Houston

Fence height limits in British Columbia, by municipality →

Sources

  1. Zoning Bylaw No. 389, 2025, as amended by Zoning Amendment Bylaw No. 392, 2026 (PDF) (read 2026-11-08)
  2. Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 393, 2026 (PDF) (read 2026-11-08)
  3. District of New Hazelton home page (read 2026-11-08)

Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 5 of 6 facts was matched to the official text; 1 could not be confirmed. How answers are checked.